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Australia's chief selector Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.

He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Alternative Arrangements

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

Fixture Details

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026